Starr Mazer: DSP similar games & best alternatives

Starr Mazer: DSP

PC (Microsoft Windows), Linux, Mac • 2016

Should you play it?

The UNFP's been kicked in the teeth by a G'ell invasion force and their last and only hope is a planetary outpost and its fleet of experimental DSP MkI Forward Assault Fighters and anyone marshal enough to strap into one and forcefully accept some apologies.

What works
  • Challenging and skill-based gameplay
  • Unique pilot and squad progression system
  • Retro pixel art and energetic soundtrack
  • Variety of ships, weapons, and pilots
  • Strong community support for developers
Things to keep in mind
  • Lack of save feature frustrates some players
  • Early access with limited content
  • Steep difficulty curve
  • Some ui and control quirks
  • No multiplayer or cooperative modes

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • SATAZIUS

  • Sector Six

  • DEAD OR SCHOOL

  • Gravity Circuit

  • Fortune's Run

  • Death Skid Marks

  • Infection Free Zone

  • Sora

  • Has-Been Heroes

Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Sector Six

  • Fortune's Run

  • Sora

If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Progression

    Astrox: Hostile Space Excavation

  • Autonomy

    Ironcast

  • Competence

    Abandoned Archive

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

Starr Mazer: DSP: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Violence, Survival, Cooperation. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation, Exploration.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players choose pilots, ironcasts, missions, and upgrades freely, directing their own strategies and playstyles."

    Capsule for Ironcast Ironcast

    "Players choose their own pilots and ships, customize squads, and decide playstyle with different weapons and strategies."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    4

    "The game is challenging with skill-based combat, requiring learning enemy patterns and precise dodging, providing feedback and opportunities for skill improvement."

    Capsule for Abandoned Archive Abandoned Archive

    "The game is challenging with skill-based dodging, weapon management, and learning enemy patterns."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -2

    "Focus is mostly on personal progression and self-improvement; leaderboards exist but competition is not the main driver."

    Capsule for Yet Another Zombie Survivors Yet Another Zombie Survivors

    "Focus is mostly on personal progression and score; leaderboards exist but competition is not the main driver."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    3

    "Despite frustration and difficulty, players are motivated to keep retrying and progressing, often playing long sessions."

    Capsule for Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures

    "Players are motivated to keep playing to improve their squad and progress further despite difficulty."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

    "Single player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative elements."

    Capsule for A Story About My Uncle A Story About My Uncle

    "Single player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative elements."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Players customize fleets, officers, and ship loadouts, allowing creative tactical approaches and fleet compositions."

    Capsule for Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Battlestar Galactica Deadlock

    "Players create squads from randomly generated pilots and ships, experimenting with different loadouts."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; gameplay is individual and respectful."

    Capsule for Melatonin Melatonin

    "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; gameplay is individual and respectful."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Players use the game for nostalgia, stress relief, and immersive arcade action away from real life."

    Capsule for METAL SLUG METAL SLUG

    "Players use the game for nostalgic arcade experience and distraction from real life."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and nostalgia, not obligation or pressure."

    Capsule for Prototype™ Prototype™

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and nostalgia, not obligation or pressure."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    4

    "Players try different weapons, tactics, and crew configurations to find effective strategies."

    Capsule for Boat Crew Boat Crew

    "Players try different pilots, weapons, and strategies to find effective combinations."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    1

    "Some discovery of enemy variants and secrets, but level layouts and progression are mostly fixed and repetitive."

    Capsule for Ember Knights Ember Knights

    "Some procedural variation in enemy patterns and pilots, but levels are mostly fixed."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    2

    "Some character customization and voice acting personalization; limited cosmetic options noted."

    Capsule for Talvisota - Winter War Talvisota - Winter War

    "Limited customization through pilot and ship selection, with voice acting adding personality."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    3

    "Fictional sci-fi setting with space empires, conspiracies, and large capital ships; imaginative experience."

    Capsule for Starpoint Gemini Warlords Starpoint Gemini Warlords

    "Fictional sci-fi setting with imaginative ships, alien enemies, and a cat admiral."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -4

    "Minimal social connection; mostly solo play with little community interaction."

    Capsule for Cooking Simulator Cooking Simulator

    "Minimal social connection; mostly solo play with some community discussion."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    4

    "Players develop skills, learn enemy patterns, and improve strategies over time."

    Capsule for The Legend of Bum-Bo The Legend of Bum-Bo

    "Players learn enemy patterns, improve skills, and develop strategies over time."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -4

    "Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    Capsule for Paladins® Paladins®

    "Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement during play sessions."

    Capsule for Assassin’s Creed Shadows Assassin’s Creed Shadows

    "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement during play sessions."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -4

    "No close social relationships formed in-game; interactions are limited to brief community exchanges."

    Capsule for Pizza Hero Pizza Hero

    "No close social relationships formed; interactions are limited to brief community exchanges."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    2

    "Some players take leadership roles in coordinating team tactics and squadron composition."

    Capsule for Heliborne Collection Heliborne Collection

    "Player leads a squadron of pilots, managing their order and composition."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    5

    "Strong focus on accumulating money, upgrading ships, and improving skills."

    Capsule for Astrox: Hostile Space Excavation Astrox: Hostile Space Excavation

    "Strong progression through earning score currency to buy better pilots and ships."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    -3

    "Game is tense and challenging, especially on higher difficulties, requiring focus and quick reactions."

    Capsule for Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide

    "Game is tense and challenging, requiring focus and quick reactions."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Colorful pixel art and music provide pleasant sensory stimulation."

    Capsule for Little-Known Galaxy Little-Known Galaxy

    "Colorful pixel art, energetic music, and sound effects provide stimulating sensory experience."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -3

    "Achievements and leaderboards exist but social recognition is not a primary motivator."

    Capsule for Rise of the Tomb Raider™ Rise of the Tomb Raider™

    "Achievements and leaderboards exist but social recognition is not a major motivator."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    2

    "Some narrative elements and character personalities add light story immersion."

    Capsule for Miss Neko 3 Miss Neko 3

    "Some narrative elements and character dialogue add context and humor, but story is light."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    4

    "Players must plan attacks, manage resources, and adapt strategies to enemy patterns."

    Capsule for ScourgeBringer ScourgeBringer

    "Players must plan squad composition, manage resources, and adapt tactics to enemy patterns."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    4

    "High tension from one-hit deaths and challenging enemies creates suspense and excitement."

    Capsule for DEADBOLT DEADBOLT

    "High tension from one-hit deaths and challenging enemy waves creates suspense and excitement."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    3

    "Players generally feel the game offers good value for its price, especially given its polish and humor."

    Capsule for Battlecruisers Battlecruisers

    "Players feel they get good entertainment value for the price, especially given the polish."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    4

    "Core gameplay involves combat, shooting, and destruction in a sci-fi shooter setting."

    Capsule for Shatterline Shatterline

    "Core gameplay involves shooting enemies and destruction in a sci-fi combat setting."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    4

    "Players must avoid death and manage resources to survive waves of enemies."

    Capsule for Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter

    "Players must avoid death and manage limited pilots to survive waves of enemies."

Last update: 01/06/2026